ABSTRACT

Waterflooding is arguably the most widely applied method of improved oil recovery in

the oil and gas industry. The low salinity waterflooding is an enhanced oil recovery (EOR)

mechanism that is showing a lot of promise in the oil and gas industry. In terms of cost

effectiveness, the low salinity waterflooding is the most preferable compared to other water

based enhanced oil recovery methods such as chemical and steam flooding. Reducing the salinity

of the water injected into reservoirs has been demonstrated to be a very effective way to recover

more oil. PROBLEM STATEMENT

The issue to be resolved in this project work

includes evaluating the effects of injecting low-saline water into a reservoir, on the properties of

the reservoir and consequently the amount of oil to be recovered. Low-salinity waterflooding can

increase the amount of residual oil recovered from a reservoir, but this technology may not

always be the best it may have some complicated factors

Compatibility of the planned injected low saline water with the reservoir connate water.

Interaction of the injected low saline water with the reservoir rock.

Low saline water injection treatment to remove oxygen bacteria and undesirable chemicals

Another challenge which involves separating and handling produced water that has traces of oil

content naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM).

The key reservoir parameter that has been recognized to have affected the rock-fluid

properties such as residual oil saturation, relative permeability and capillary pressure is

Wettability. This alteration can lead to the agglomeration of the trapped oil inside the pore

spaces. This is as a result of the presence of salt which is a conductor of electricity. It creates

electrical charges that react with the reservoir walls, resulting in a magnetic effect. As oil adheres
to the rock walls the quantity of oil that can be recovered is reduced. However, by using low

salinity water the amount of electrical charge is lowered. The oil then more easily liberated from

the rock allowing ever more oil to be recovered.

Therefore, with the use of softwares such as Eclipse 100 as the reservoir

simulator, the concept of wettability alteration would be applied to affect the local contact angle

by changing the brine composition. This will alter the distribution of fluids in the reservoir which

in turn would affect the relative permeability.